'Sources tell TSN that Boots Del Biaggio is a partner with the local investors and he will work to keep the Predators viable in Nashville, but his tie to Kansas City offers a back-up plan in the event long-term efforts fall through.'

Sources tell TSN that Boots Del Biaggio is a partner with the local investors and he will work to keep the Predators viable in Nashville, but his tie to Kansas City offers a back-up plan in the event long-term efforts fall through.

long term efforts........KC isn't going to wait around for this deal. Now it will be on to expansion or other relocation. This does open the door for another owner to move the team into Sprint Center and maintain ownership. The Boots deal was good and bad, good that he was going to try to bring a team, bad that any owner wanting to move here had to sell the team to him.

long term efforts........KC isn't going to wait around for this deal. Now it will be on to expansion or other relocation. This does open the door for another owner to move the team into Sprint Center and maintain ownership. The Boots deal was good and bad, good that he was going to try to bring a team, bad that any owner wanting to move here had to sell the team to him.

Until I see otherwise, I'm guessing that there will be a measure in place that allows Boots to either back out if KC is awarded an expansion team or buy the team full out if an attendance figure isn't met.

Until I see otherwise, I'm guessing that there will be a measure in place that allows Boots to either back out if KC is awarded an expansion team or buy the team full out if an attendance figure isn't met.

probably so, doesn't make alot of sense for local investors to be involved with him if this is what they thought he would try to do. But it does now let another owner move in free and clear to Sprint

08-01-2007 1:54 PM — In half an hour, the Nashville Predators will be announcing that the local bidders have a letter of intent to buy the team. Additionally, sources have confirmed that Silicon Valley venture capitalist William "Boots" Del Biaggio has become part of the ownership group.

It sounds to me like a graceful way for Boots to get out of his KC obligation without looking like a traitor-- consistent with the theory that he was more interested in owning a team than owning a team IN KC.

08-01-2007 1:54 PM — In half an hour, the Nashville Predators will be announcing that the local bidders have a letter of intent to buy the team. Additionally, sources have confirmed that Silicon Valley venture capitalist William "Boots" Del Biaggio has become part of the ownership group.

It sounds to me like a graceful way for Boots to get out of his KC obligation without looking like a traitor-- consistent with the theory that he was more interested in owning a team than owning a team IN KC.

According to Sportsnet.ca, Boots has a small ownership stake in the SJ Sharks.

I really wish the NHL could grow to a mainstream sport in the US. I know its hard to look at it from my point of view, but is keeping the team in Nashville the best move for the sport?

I'm sure the media attention of moving franchises all around and contraction like some want (especially after a few years of the only full season lockout out of all the big sports) is a much better move to grow the sport in the US.

Here is Stranger's idea on how to grow the NHL into a more 'mainstream' sport in the US:

Let get rid of all the hockey fans who simply whine all day on internet message boards complaining about the stitching on jerseys, the amount of paint on a logo on a puck, how Bettman is ruining the game by altering Reebok jersey material test reports, and how they think that NHL should go back to the good ol' days of the Original Six. I'd be willing to bet that almost none of the posters who whine about how the NHL (I'm sorry, Bettman) is alienating them by changing the game so much and ditching history ever lived during those times.

You want to know why the NHL is a joke, because its the only major sports league where fans constantly complain about every aspect of the game and the only league where fans sit around all day adding up the actual amount spent on every ticket sold during an entire season, trying to justify why teams shouldn't exist in other cities.

I don't really understand why so many Canadians have such a deep desire to see the NHL fail in non-traditional markets. Growing the sport and spreading it to big cities in the South can only be good for the game in the end. There are so many potential fans and dollars to be had by spreading south and west to non-traditional markets.

Lets not forget that Nashville had an average attendance higher than Phoenix, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, New York Islanders, and St. Louis last season. (I know I read that here somewhere, but I don't know who/what to cite.)

Maybe we should move Boston or Chicago to Hamilton. Those fools obviously don't know what hockey even is!

I don't really understand why so many Canadians have such a deep desire to see the NHL fail in non-traditional markets. Growing the sport and spreading it to big cities in the South can only be good for the game in the end. There are so many potential fans and dollars to be had by spreading south and west to non-traditional markets.

Lets not forget that Nashville had an average attendance higher than Phoenix, Boston, New Jersey, Washington, Chicago, New York Islanders, and St. Louis last season. (I know I read that here somewhere, but I don't know who/what to cite.)

Maybe we should move Boston or Chicago to Hamilton. Those fools obviously don't know what hockey even is!

But even if we did reach top 10 attendance for several seasons there would still be your average hater calling for us to move "cuz yo pondz dont freeze lol"

If you don't like us, whatever, but is it that hard to just leave us be and not complain. We are here, accept it and stop complaining.

I'm sure the media attention of moving franchises all around and contraction like some want (especially after a few years of the only full season lockout out of all the big sports) is a much better move to grow the sport in the US.

Here is Stranger's idea on how to grow the NHL into a more 'mainstream' sport in the US:

Let get rid of all the hockey fans who simply whine all day on internet message boards complaining about the stitching on jerseys, the amount of paint on a logo on a puck, how Bettman is ruining the game by altering Reebok jersey material test reports, and how they think that NHL should go back to the good ol' days of the Original Six. I'd be willing to bet that almost none of the posters who whine about how the NHL (I'm sorry, Bettman) is alienating them by changing the game so much and ditching history ever lived during those times.

You want to know why the NHL is a joke, because its the only major sports league where fans constantly complain about every aspect of the game and the only league where fans sit around all day adding up the actual amount spent on every ticket sold during an entire season, trying to justify why teams shouldn't exist in other cities.

Can I use this as my signature? This is the greatest post ever, so so true.

I'm sure the media attention of moving franchises all around and contraction like some want (especially after a few years of the only full season lockout out of all the big sports) is a much better move to grow the sport in the US.

Here is Stranger's idea on how to grow the NHL into a more 'mainstream' sport in the US:

Let get rid of all the hockey fans who simply whine all day on internet message boards complaining about the stitching on jerseys, the amount of paint on a logo on a puck, how Bettman is ruining the game by altering Reebok jersey material test reports, and how they think that NHL should go back to the good ol' days of the Original Six. I'd be willing to bet that almost none of the posters who whine about how the NHL (I'm sorry, Bettman) is alienating them by changing the game so much and ditching history ever lived during those times.

You want to know why the NHL is a joke, because its the only major sports league where fans constantly complain about every aspect of the game and the only league where fans sit around all day adding up the actual amount spent on every ticket sold during an entire season, trying to justify why teams shouldn't exist in other cities.